The present invention relates generally to agricultural tractor accessories and more particularly to a an apparatus for picking up rocks that attaches to the rear of an agricultural tractor and functions to pick up and remove rocks and boulders from a field in preparation for plowing and planting.
Agriculturalists involved with the planting, growing, and harvesting of crops have long been acquainted with the problems encountered when rocks or boulders are present in a field. A particular problem is the damage which can occur to plows and cultivators when they strike rocks laying on or embedded in the field being worked. Although encountered world wide, the problem of field rocks is particularly prevalent in the plain states of the United States, where numerous rocks were deposited along with the rich soil during the glacier period. Further, the problem cannot be eleviated by one cleaning of the field, due to the fact that from year to year as the ground is worked, and as the soil freezes and thaws the rocks located beneath the surface of the earth and in the subsoil, continue to work their way to the top. A further problem is apparent when it is realized that partially embedded boulders cannot be removed until the soil has thawed and is pliable. This causes the agriculturalist to spend valuable time in the spring dislodging and removing rocks during a time that would be optimumly used for planting.
In the past, rocks have been cleared from a field either by manual labor lifting them onto a flat-bed trailer, or, in the case of larger boulders, by manipulating the rocks into the bucket of a front-end loader or caterpillar. Often times, partially buried boulders would have to be dug out or pulled out with the use of chains, before they could be removed from the field. Although current methods for removing rocks from fields have generally been successful, they typically involve time consuming and back-breaking work that erodes the time and energy of the agriculturalist, which would be better spent in the actual growing of the crops.
Modern farms are typically larger than in the past, and the modern farmer typically uses larger and more sophisticated machinery than in the past. This increase in size and sophistication has allowed agriculturalists to cover more ground faster than in the past, thus increasing food production. However, regardless of size or sophistication, the same basic steps or procedures must be followed to progress from barren field to ripened harvest. One of the necessary steps in the growing process is to insure that the field is clear of equipment damaging rocks and boulders to avoid costly down-time for repairs or replacement of damaged or broken parts. The small scale farmer, as well as the large corporate farm, have a need for equipment and procedures which shorten the steps in the production chain, and thereby increases efficiency and productivity.